French Toast 
Rue des Artistes 
Mount Rushmore. I can never seem to get tired of seeing this American wonder. Just the other day (in August) I went back to the see the four golden faces carved into the black hills of South Dakota. I simply wanted to share with all of you the beauty of Mount Rushmore :-)
Michelle Echterling
The only thing that I could say was “this is so much better then Disney World!”
Enjoy the pictures,
Michelle
The home of Tim Hortons, maple syrup, and colorful money. It is the birthplace of the iconic saying, “eh.” Where a chesterfield is what you and I would call couch and where tennis shoes are renamed runners. This is also where the national pastime is a sport called Hockey. However, I enjoy the exciting game of Curling, where sweeping the ice causes the heavy stone to score a point. I could go on and on forever about the land of my second home! However, just one look at what Canada has to offer, and you too will say "Oh Canada!"
Enjoy the picture!
Michelle Echterling
*Are there any Canadian Bloggers??? If so, then can you guess where this picture was taken???
Christmas Morning: Priceless
Nothing in life is greater than family, friends, and food and when you put these three, sometimes separate things together, you suddenly have Christmas. Nothing can surpass the sights, smells, and company that happens during this time of year. All of us have our own memories and traditions that we will never forget, they seem to make this time of year even more spectacular. For myself, I can always remember waking up as a child at 2:30 am on Christmas morning and wanting to run down the stairs to see what had magically appeared under the tree. However, I knew that I could not move a muscle without first waking up my family. Once they were up and ready for me to come down, then and only then could I tiptoe down the stairs to see what gifts were awaiting me. Quickly, it seemed that all the presents were opened and the living room was covered with torn wrapping paper. I can still remember the delicious smell coming from the kitchen, another family tradition was about to take place—Christmas morning cinnamon buns! The overwhelming smell made this day feel even more special. Sitting on the wrapping paper covered floor and being surrounded by all the gifts, I began to devoured the best homemade cinnamon buns. The reason that this priceless event is fresh in my mind is because the same thing happens every year. This is my family’s tradition. Each coming Christmas I look forward to waking up, going down the stairs, opening up the presents, and eating a yummy Christmas breakfast.
This is what I am looking forward to the most this December. Slowing down from my hectic schedule and becoming a kid again. I am awaiting the moment when I wake up at 2:30 am, tiptoe down the same old stairs, and enjoy my family like never before. When I think of Christmas morning, I think of these priceless moments that I will remember forever. The gathering of my family, the sight of a messy living room, and the smell of fresh hot cinnamon buns radiating from the kitchen. This is what I classify as my Merry Christmas.
What are some of the priceless traditions and memories that you and your family have every Christmas?
Merry Christmas,
Michelle Echterling
My First Car:
I will never forget my first car and all the wonderful memories that came with it. This fine automobile had pink wheels and a purple interior. It could go from zero to 3.4 mph in five minutes and had a battery life of less than one hour. Yes, my first car was a Barbie Jeep. Growing up I loved jumping into this hot-rod and speeding down the sidewalk. Every evening I would drive my car in the neighborhood with my dad running behind me. This would go on until the battery would start to die. However, one cold afternoon in November the battery died and we were what seemed to be miles away from home. Not being able to push this car my dad came to the rescue! He lifted my Barbie car over his head and with ease, carried it back home. When we got home, he was out of breath, but nevertheless he was there to save the day.
I will also never forget seeing my dad, heroic in stature, lifting my battery operated car up in the air and saving the day of a four year old. Looking back at this moment as a family, we all know that if this were to happen today that my dad probably could not lift the car over his head and walk over a mile. However, we all have a Father in Heaven who is still as powerful and heroic as always and who can still save the day. Riding through life we sometimes hit a bump and seem to breakdown. When all seems lost and forsaken somehow our Father, God, is there for us. He comes to our rescue and saves our day. The Bible says that “God is the same yesterday, today, and forever” but we often forget that He is the God of today. We all know and believe that He lived 2,000 years ago and died for our sins so that we may live. We also believe that He is going to be there for us in our future. Somehow though, we forget that He is the God of today, right now! He is there to save us and protect us from whatever we may encounter on the road ahead.
The same way that my dad was there for me when my first car broke down is the same way that God will be there for you. When situations come, we know that we can depend on Him to make everything all right.
When I turned 16 I wanted a car, like every other teenager. I asked my parents if I could have a car and they responded with a sweet but firm “no, if you want a car then you are going to have to believe God for one.” That is exactly what I did. I believed that God was going to provide a car for my 16th birthday. It took six months but I did end up with a car, for free! It was given to me, thanks to God. No matter what you want, need, desire, or ask for, it will be yours. So for me, my first car was really my second and I have amazing stories to go with both automobiles.
Michelle Echterling
First Time for Everything:
Doing new things in life are never easy but they are eventually a necessity. These small steps in life enable us to grow into the person that we will become. We have all had “first times” in our lives and we all know that they have taught us a lot about ourselves and others. For me, this past week has been a lot of “first times.” This is my first blog, my first time to travel to Newfoundland, and my first time to eat seal. Yes, I have had a lot of interesting “firsts” this past week. Trying something new is hard in the beginning but somehow it can magically turn around to be a lifelong memory. This is what happened to me while I was in Newfoundland. Visiting a remote fishing village named Leading Tickles, with a population of about four-hundred people, I realized the meaning of loving life’s little “first times.” In the middle of nowhere, this small town embodied all that you could ever imagine from a fishing village. This sleepy community had no gas stations, restaurants, or hotels. It even had a sign, located in its park, saying “cell phone use here.” However, it had everything you could ask for in the hospitality of its people. Making you feel like you were family, they always showed nothing less than kindness and generosity. There generosity going as far as giving us a bottle of seal to eat. Tasting this reddish-brown colored meat with chunks of bones mixed in was less then appetizing. However, this beloved “Newfoundland snack” was given to us by one of these friendly people who had welcomed us into their hearts and homes. Therefore, it made the thought of the seal much better then how it tasted. For me, this past week has truly been unforgettable. It has been one for my history book and I want you to have that same feeling. In this coming week, be willing to try something different. Now you do not have to eat seal or travel to a remote fishing village, but you do have to try something new and out of the ordinary from your everyday routine. You will never know where your little step might take you. Always remember that there is a “first time for everything.”
Michelle Echterling
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